Maya's POV

It's been a couple of months since V left our house apartment after planting a kiss on my forehead. Sarah was kind enough to not interrogate me further, apart from the occasionally mocking she would say or do when V's name would come up among our friends.

Not to deny, V seems like a really popular name among everyone I come across. He is also one of the star basketball players of the varsity team. I slowly get to know every single detail behind V's popularity coz that's all my circle of friends ever talks about.

The fall semester is also coming to an end, indicating the approaching break for the Thanksgiving season. The weather has turned icier than ever, trees have turned brown and withered around campus.

Slowly sucking away the green and vibrant colour which I love. I have been so engrossed with my assignment and academic, never having the time to entertain many parties invites and hangouts I've been called for.

Most assuringly, I have somehow adjusted to the ritual of being an international student in this foreign land, away from home, accustomed to the western culture. I survived my very first couple of months.

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Today is the final day of my assignment submission, all my handwork came to an end when I sent my model house to Professor Nick's office. I bid him a good evening as I took myself lazily back to my apartment, sensing the freedom after being cooked up in the studio for the past few weeks.

"Yo Maya, you're early today."

I opened the door with Sarah's chirpy voice from the kitchen.

"Hey, yea today was the day of submission. I no longer am a slave to my studio. Well, not until the final year starts next Spring."

"So you're like off off till the beginning of Spring?"

Sarah walked out of the kitchen with a glass of water in her hand, somehow looking like she is dressed for another party. As much as I seldom see Sarah at home anymore, that girl knows how to party and study twice as hard, making her one of the top scholars in her department of business.

I nodded, answering her question about my break period.

"I'm sure Prof Nick will come up with another assignment for us to work on over the holidays, it's never gonna end."

I sighed as I dramatically flopped down the couch, throwing the keys aside.

"Wanna hang with me?"

I dropped my head over the couch arm, titling myself backwards to watch Sarah.

"I'm pretty sure you're not just gonna bring me to a local deli and eat some ice cream. You look like you're about to get wasted."

"Well yea, it's the weekend of Thanksgiving, classes are out, boozes are back on bitch!"

"I swear Sarah, you're such an odd person. Who drinks like every single week?"

"Who doesn't?"

"Me. I don't!" I pointed at myself while still laying my back on the couch.

"Oh come on, it's the party for the basketball championship. Our boys won the game! Didn't you hear the horns and news around the campus?"

Sarah exclaimed excitedly. Oh, before I miss this out, Sarah and Peter are now dating. It happened a couple of weeks ago.

"No. I didn't even know when and where was the game on."

I am really not a sports person, nor do I care about what is happening on campus. All I care about is studying and scoring well so I don't disappoint my Asian parents.

"You dumbo! V scored most of the points. You should have seen the cheerleaders all over him earlier in the game. That guy was a magnet on the court."

Sarah rolled his eyes, clearly trying to mock me again when it comes to V.

"For the nth time Sarah, we are just friends, like any normal friends. You need to stop mocking me and him on every chance you can get. We haven't spoken in months."

"Correcto, you choose not to reply that poor boy's calling. Your lost."

It's my turn to roll my eyes. I know I was back to the slumber of not replying messages and calls as I have occupied most of my time staying up late in the studio and attending classes every single day for either revisions or just study groups.

"Geez sorry ma'am for making education as my priority."

"Your Asian ass needs to chill and we are doing it tonight. You're coming with me."

"To Peter's?"

"Mhmm."

I gulped, the sudden excitement and anticipation of possibly meeting V again made my stomach feel funny. Will he be there? How am I gonna face him after practically having a very awkward encounter the last time we parted?

I gently touched my forehead, still feeling the lingering sensation of his plump lips on my skin.

"HURRY UP, WE ARE LEAVING IN 45." Oh my God, this girl needs to chill.

I shrugged off Sarah's help to dress me up as I know she is gonna make me wear fabric that barely covers my ass, so I pushed her out of my room before walking into the shower.

Why am I agreeing to go again? I don't know. You can say that it might due to the freedom after assignment submission, it can be due to the fact it's a Thanksgiving weekend, or it may or may not be due to the anticipation of meeting a certain brown head hazel-eyed boy.

I opened my room door after getting ready as fast as I could, unable to withstand Sarah whining that I am taking hours to get dressed.

"MAYA, YOU-...Oh la la..." Sarah whistled at me, scanning me from head to toe.

Tonight, I choose to just let go my always tied up hair and curled it loosely to give it a soft look. Gentle but a little smokey makeup to lift up my tired face, glasses replaced with contacts and lips a soft nude pink.

Unlike my other times in a party, I finally choose to go with something that my hidden curves would appreciate to make a showoff tonight. I dressed in a simple emerald green sleeveless dress, a little above my knees with a low cut at the back.

"You should know how good your body looks Maya."

"Shut up Sarah, you're drooling." I laughed at her, as I took my leather jacket and knee-high boots, prepared to embrace the cold outside.

"Right up. Don't tell Peter I eyed you, he might question my loyalty towards him." Sarah stupidly jokes as she took a gulp of vodka shots in her hand, handing me another shot glass.

"You're crazy." I looked at the glass on her hand and shake my head. Walking past her to the door.

"Come on, you're gonna be the only sober one in the party and it's no fun! Besides, it keeps you warm." Sarah took the glass close to the bridge of my nose.

I scrunched my nose at the strong smell before thinking for a second. Ah, fuck it. Immediately, I chunk down the shot glass in one gulp.

"WOW." I left out a sharp yelp and handed the glass back to Sarah who danced in joy.

"Finally, my hommie is ready for a party!!"

Sarah hugged me sideways on my shoulder and directed us to the door, heading to Peter's house. My head was whizzing a little with only one shot of vodka, but glad I took the shot as it was getting a little cold to my bone once we started walking to the party.

.

True enough, the place looked as hammered and thriving like it did the last time I came. If not, I would say it looks much wilder tonight as not only Peter's apartment was open for a party, they even extended to occupy Archie's house for a second party portal, just beside each other.

"Let loose Maya, and enjoy yourself."

Sarah told me one last time, very genuinely giving me a hug before losing herself in the crowd to find Peter.

"I'll try..." I said to no one in particular as Sarah was already gone and the crowd was immersed in a blast of music.

I looked around, a bit more familiar with everyone else around this circle, the sportspeople, the party-goers, the usual international bunch and there are also a bunch of nerds (like myself) mingling in the party.

Offering everyone either a hug or a wave, I made my way to the kitchen, a place where I believe I can get a decent drink by myself.

All I could find was a huge bowl of mixed drinks and lots of used and unused red cups around it. Not interested to drink from it, I simply opened the fridge and took a bottle of the white soda bottle and popped the cap open.

It felt so refreshing but tasted weirdly sharp at the same time, at least it can keep my company while the rest of the crowd were keeping each other company.

Will I ever blend into any parties like ever? Sigh.

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Who else have trouble blending into a party or a crowd? I do.
P/S: I might go back to third person POV and switch up with V's as well.